The Begining

The day you are born you breath and open your eyes for the first time, everythings new. Then you notice the two beaming smiles looking at you, then it hits you these are your parents

Family

Families nowadays are changing, the traditional family that consists of a working father and a mother whos at home raising the children, usually two, a son and a daughter along with the family pet dog.

Nowadays most mothers with children that are under the age of six years are now leaving their roles as housewives and going out to work.

The size of families have changed aswell, more families are having just one child, this has risen since 1976 where people were having two or more children.

Single Parenting

The number of single parents has also risen with children living mostly with their mothers, although in the last few years fathers are taking on the role and bringing up their children.

Single parents are just a capable as a traditional family in creating a stable environment to help their children grow up in. Stress invaids every parents life whether single or both being present, although it is more difficult for a single parent to cope with as they are alone. This is where extended families are good to look for as support and help.

Being a single parent is very demanding, especially if they are working aswell as bringing up the children. It is important for the parent to make time to themselves to have a break from the pressures of work and the children.

Only Child

The reasons for people deciding to bring up just one child are becoming increasingly compelling. Most women are now deciding to become mothers later in life for reasons such as forming a stable environment and career for themselves and the child, whereas others must accept biological restrictions where they can either have just one or unfortunatly in some cases no children.

The parents of an only child maybe worried about being too over protective with their child, this is a concern all parents experience at some point. A child no matter how many siblings they have will naturally go through stages of being needed in their life.

Twins and Multiples

As a parent raising twins you confront many of the same issues. You want to foster their natural clossness, dress them in the same clothes but you must remember to allow them to be seen as individuals.

When twins grow older they fight to have their own individuality, they make their own friends and tend to spend more time apart, whereas when they are younger they find it fun to look the same and spend most of their time in eachothers company.

Siblings

Sibling rivalry, we all go through it whether it is your children or you have done it yourself. The rivalry is a necessary part of life, it helps the complex relationship that forms between your children and yourself. The rivalry between children is often seen as an attempt to see who can gain the attention of the parents.

Younger siblings tend to look up to and learn by mimicking their older siblings. There is always rivalry between the siblings, its like one big competion thats why it is important for you to focus on the children as individuals, rather than on what they accomplish.